The Atlantis Chronicles: Epsiode 1: Into the Void
by USSExplorer
Summary: The starship Atlantis ventures out from her homeworld to help her people answer the questions that have gnawed at them for over twenty years ‘Who were they?’‘Why did they attack?’‘When will they come back?’
1. Into the Void

Note: Big surprise but I don't own Galactica or any of its' stories. My idea for this came from watching 3.20, I saw that the DARDIS showed five Basestars but when the camera did its' zoom out we only actually see four. What if the fifth contact wasn't a Basestar but something unexpected?

I'm leaving out some details for now, they'll be revealed as I go on but I feel it's more fun to know everything before the Colonials do.

1.

Slowly the small transport shuttle weaved its' way around the myriad of construction pylons and worker-crafts that were buzzing about inside _Chronos_, a massive construction station built inside of an asteroid. The shuttle turned into bay three and was confronted with the most advanced light-cruiser built to date, the _Atlantis_.

"This is Cobra zero-zero-two-Alpha to _Atlantis_ watchtower; I'm requesting permission to land."

"Cobra zero-zero-two-Alpha you are cleared for landing into the starboard bay on pad two."

"Roger control, beginning landing run."

The pilot eased the bulky shuttle into the landing bay of the cruiser Atlantis and brought it to a stop on the designated pad. A loud thud was heard below the shuttle.

"Reporting maglocks in place."

"Affirmative zero-zero-two-Alpha, locks are secured. Welcome aboard, Orion."

Lieutenant James 'Orion' MacLeod checked his controls and turned on the automated landing control systems. Slowly the landing pad descended into the maintenance bay below before stopping in an empty slot. Orion opened the door and stepped out onto the deck and watched as a squad of marines approached.

"The package is in the back. Knock yourselves out."

The lead marine saluted. "Regulations require you to wait until we've secured the package until leaving the transport."

Orion's lip twitched slightly at the marine and he opened his mouth to say something only for a new voice to interrupt him.

"Ease up Joe. No-one is going to steal it, whatever 'it' is." The newcomer smiled at Orion and greeted him with a slap on the back. "What would you do without me to look after you, James?"

"Let's think." Orion started to count on his fingers, "Stay out of bars, never see the inside of every jail-cell from here to Jupiter and back again, "

The newcomer laughed at his friend. "But then your life wouldn't have any fun in it."

Orion stared at him before shaking his head and laughing as well.

"True enough." The pair started walk of the hanger deck and into the bowels of the ship. "So, how's life been treating you Rigel?" Lieutenant Al-Ril (Rigel) 'Dragon' Jones shrugged slightly.

"Could be worse, got busted down to Lieutenant and assigned to a deep recon patrol after sleeping with an admiral's daughter. Then once I get back I'm assigned to ferry people and supplies back and forth to this ship. What about you?"

"Sorry, can't talk about it, classified. You'll find out after we launch though."

"It has something to do with those new engines, doesn't it?"

Orion raised his hands in a defensive posture. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Dragon gave him an evil stare before shrugging again. "Fine, don't tell your friend. Let's get you bunked down before I give you the grand tour." Orion bowed in jest to his friend.

"Lead on."

Dragon smacked him on his shoulder before walking to show his friend his new home.

---

Orion sat in his bunk in the pilots' quarters and stared at the notes in front of him. He was so engrossed in them he failed to notice Dragon come in.

"Hey, we're due in the briefing room in ten so get moving."

Orion started to frantically collect his notes. Dragon picked up one and glanced over it. He noticed that it was written in a language he'd never seen with unusual characters. Holding up the sheet of paper he looked at his friend.

"What is this?"

Without answering Orion grabbed the sheet from him and placed it, along with the ones he was reading, into a box which he then locked. He then walked out of the pilots' quarters to the briefing. Dragon looked from Orion to the box then back again and spotted one piece of paper with the strange writing under the bed. He picked it up and, after taking a quick look at it and failing to make heads or tails of it, he placed it in one of his flight-suits' pocket before following his friend to the briefing.

-

Orion and Dragon walked into the pilots briefing room and took their seats.

"Morning." said the female CAG. "Today we have combat drills for all again and our last pilot, who just happens to be one of the test pilots for our new Cobra class fighters, has arrived, Lieutenant MacLeod, his Call-sign is Orion."

Some of the other pilots chuckled amongst themselves as Orion leaned over to Dragon.

"What's so funny?"

Before Dragon could answer the CAG interrupted. "My call-sign is Artemis but don't get your hopes up. All you can do is dream."

"Is that an order?" asked Dragon, drawing laughter from the assembled pilots.

Captain Diane 'Artemis' Towers tried to hide her own smile as she stared at Dragon. "Just for that you get to fly the first run."

Without missing a beat Dragon stood and saluted, "Thank you sir, anything else sir?"

Artemis gave him a wry smile as she answered. "Actually I need someone to help the deck crew with fighter maintenance and you just volunteered."

Dragon slumped back into his seat. Orion leaned over and whispered to him.

"Some things never change."

"Orion, you can join him." stated Artemis before continuing with her briefing.

Orion leaned over and whispered to Dragon. "What's so funny then?"

Dragon gave Artemis a quick glance before he answered. "In Greek mythology, Orion was the hunting companion and maybe the lover of Artemis who she killed after she was tricked by Apollo. Upon his death he placed her among the stars as a constellation."

Orion nodded slightly and stared at Artemis. "I've already seen everything anyway." He muttered drawing a confused look from Dragon.

When the briefing ended Artemis asked for Orion to stay behind.

"What are you doing here?" she asked him pointedly. He gave her a friendly smile as he answered.

"And here I was thinking you'd be happy to see me again." She gave him a cold, uncaring stare. "Now I know you still love me, so what's the problem?" She pointed directly at him as she answered.

"I don't want you here and I'm the CAG. I choose the pilots for the ship." He shrugged at her statement.

"I was asked to join as you requested one of the test pilots come along to help with the new fighters."

Artemis gave him a cold stare. "I wouldn't have done that I'd known you were the one they would send."

Orion tried to suppress a smile as he looked at her. "It's good to see you again too Diane."

"Don't start with me Lieutenant. I want you off this ship now."

He shrugged apologetically, "Not gonna happen. My orders come directly from the Admiralty but you could take it up with the Admiral."

She turned and started to walk out of the briefing room, "I think I will."

"By the way," she stopped and turned slightly to look back at him. "You still look beautiful to me." She spun quickly and stormed out of the room hoping he hadn't seen the slight smile that had crept across her face.

-

Five minutes later she was at the Admirals' quarters and tapped on his door.

"Come." Artemis stormed into the private area used by the Admiral and after giving him a quick salute she opened up.

"I want HIM off this ship now!!" Admiral Jackson turned and faced his CAG.

"Him?" he asked as a slight smile starting to creep onto his face. Artemis slammed her fist against one of the walls.

"Who know damm well who HE is, don't play with me dad." Jackson gave his daughter a calming smile and motioned for her to sit, which she refused.

"As much as you don't want him here, I need him here Diane." Artemis gave him an almost evil stare.

"Why? Couldn't we get one of the other test pilots?" he shook his head as he looked up at her.

"All I can tell you is that it's classified Captain." Artemis snapped to attention but the anger could still be seen in her eyes.

"Very well sir. Is there anything else or can I go now?" Jackson sighed and waved towards the door.

"No, on you go." As she stepped through the door he called after her. "Diane, do you still love him?" Her head snapped back around and she just stared at him open-mouthed for a couple of seconds until she regained her composure. Without answering she stepped through the door and slammed it shut.

Jackson sighed as he rubbed the bridge of his nose. "It's gonna be a long flight."

---

Jackson walked onto the bridge of the _Atlantis_ and casually checked each station was properly manned before moving towards the central command platform.

"I'll take it from here, XO."

The XO nodded and stepped back to his station. "Aye sir, you have the conn. All stations report ready to get underway. Engineering says the new engines are awaiting your order to be powered up."

"Very well, Helm, ask the station for clearance to leave, and then take us out slowly. By the book people, we don't want to break the ship just yet."

Slowly the _Atlantis_ crept out of her docking station and began to lead her people into a brave new future.

"We've cleared the station sir."

"Take us out of the planets gravity well. Full power to the sub-light engines, let's see what this girl has got." The mighty ship began to power away from the station and into the endless night as people on the station watched on in anticipation of what was to come.

"Incoming transmission from the station, it is Fleet Admiral Fergusson."

"On speakers." an audible pop was heard as the signal was routed into the bridge speaker system. "This is the _Atlantis_; you are on speakers now, sir."

"Admiral Jackson, you and your crew are under-taking our most daring voyage yet. Our hopes and prayers are with you all. Safe journeys, Command out."

Jackson looked round the bridge at the confused look on the faces of many of his crew. He opened the ship's intercom.

"This is the Admiral. As we leave Spacedock I feel compelled to tell you all how proud I am of all of you. Today we usher in a new age for our people as we venture forth into the great unknown. Using the latest technology we have we will leave our solar system for the first time and finally answer the question that has been asked since the beginning of time, 'Are we alone?' and the question that has plagued us for over twenty years, 'Where did they come from and why did they attack us?' Trust your fellow shipmates and we will all return safe and sound to our home with an answers."

Jackson closed the intercom and turned to the XO.

-

In the starboard maintenance bay Dragon walked across from his fighter to Orions' and found his friend checking the electronics package in his cockpit.

"So what do you think we're going to find out there, aliens or just empty space?"

Orion gave his friend a cryptic smile as he answered. "Fifty credits says we find other humans?"

Dragon stifled a laugh at the suggestion. "Don't be serious. No human has ever left the solar system."

Dragon turned around and walked back across to his fighter. Halfway back he stopped and turned, "Does this have to do with that strange writing you were looking at?"

Orion pretended not to hear his friends' question.

"Fine," muttered Dragon, "have it your way. You've got a bet and I'll expect the money once we get back."

-

"We've reached the recommended safe distance sir." stated the Helmsman drawing the attention of the Admiral and the XO.

"Very well, reduce power to sub-lights to ten percent, power up the new engines slowly and input the jump co-ordinates into the computer."

The ship began to vibrate slightly. Suddenly an alarm went off.

"Unknown contact bearing zero-one-zero, mark three-five-one. Range two hundred klicks." stated the scanner operator.

"What is it?" asked the XO.

The operator shook his head. "It doesn't match anything on record. It appears to be a one-man ship."

Jackson looked at the scanner and found himself seeing the same ghost he saw once before. "Contact Fleet command and request they launch an interceptors."

"Aye sir." stated the comm officer. Another alarm went off.

"Power surge in the jump engines, now at ninety-five percent."

"Kill the power." ordered Jackson.

The engineer frantically worked at his station before shaking his head. "No good. It won't shut down and it's now drawing power from other systems, now at one hundred and ten percent and still rising."

The vibrations were growing more intense as the jump engines continued to draw more and more power.

"Unknown contact is gone."

"What do you mean gone?" the XO demanded. "Something that size can't just disappear."

The operator shrugged as he answered. "One second it was there, the next it was gone. No sign of it on any scans."

"Sir, Command states that the never saw any other ships in our vicinity."

"Are the bloody blind?" asked an increasingly frustrated XO.

Suddenly the power to most of the bridge systems failed.

"We've lost scanners sir."

"Weapons controls are also non-responsive."

"Jump engines at one hundred and fifty percent of expected norms."

Jackson turned to the comm officer. "Contact the station and declare an emergency."

The officer just shook his head. "I've got no power."

The bridge lights started to flicker. Jackson turned to the engineer on the bridge.

"Can you shut it off?"

The engineer shook his head again. "I've tried everything I can think of and then some with no success."

He took a quick look at his displays that were still working followed by another longer stare before turning back to the Admiral dumbfounded. "Somehow the engines are at one hundred and seventy-five percent and now the target coordinates have changed. Don't ask me how, I just don't know."

Jackson re-opened the ships' intercom. "All hands brace for jump. Sound battle-stations, order all pilots to their fighters."

The alert siren sounded once before it too had its' power drained along with all the bridge systems.

"Jump engines were at one hundred and ninety-four percent at last count. Assuming it's gonna need two hundred percent to jump we should jump in." He looked down at his watch, "five… four… three… two… one…"

-

On the station people cheered and clapped as the _Atlantis_ jumped away, unaware anything was wrong even as Fleet Command tried to make sense of the last data they received just as the _Atlantis_ jumped.

"Are you sure that's what it said?" asked a very flustered Fleet Admiral Fergusson.

"Yes sir," replied the officer. "We didn't get any technical feedback, just those eight words." Fergusson, like everyone else, looked up at the giant screen in the control and the words flashing across it.

**The time has come, thirteen will become one.**


	2. 2

2.

Admiral Jackson pulled himself upright as the _Atlantis_ finished her FTL jump and surveys the damage on the bridge.

"Report!" he commanded.

The crew struggled to find their bearings in the dark. Just as suddenly as the power had died, it returned. Jackson noticed his XO slumped against a nearby railing holding his head. He walked over and helped the XO stand up.

"All power has returned." stated the engineer.

Everyone began to frantically check their instruments. Once more an alarm sounded.

"I've got multiple sensor contacts, port and starboard."

Everyone stared at the scanner operator in disbelief.

"Battle-stations!" ordered the XO. "Launch first and second squadrons. Wake up third squadron and have them in the launch-tubes ASAP!"

The alarm sounded and two of the _Atlantis_' three fighter squadrons began launching.

"Alright people, you know the drill." Artemis' voice stated over the comm system. "Spartans on me, we've got the port side. Jackknife; take the Trojans to the starboard side. All Cobras take defensive position Beta around the _Atlantis_."

Jackson turned to the scanner operator, "report."

The operator looked at his monitors as he did so. "I've got four capital ships to starboard, range, about three thousand klicks. They have six distinctive extensions, three above and three below a large central core. Each ship is about two thousand meters in diameter. I'm also detecting about eight hundred smaller craft. They appear to be fighter craft."

The bridge crew listened in disbelief, the _Atlantis_ was the newest ship in the fleet and she was only five hundred meters long. Even the two mighty carriers defending the home world were only twelve hundred meters in length. "To port, I've got about seventy ships of various dimensions. One has taken a defensive position between us and the other ships. It appears to be the only military ship in that fleet. It's about fourteen hundred meters long and about twenty-five hundred klicks away. I'm also reading about one hundred fighter craft nearby."

Jackson stared at the scanner display as the bridge crew looked at him for inspiration. He turned to face his crew. "Everyone, man your stations, yes we are now lost somewhere in the galaxy but we now know the answer to the great question, we are not alone. Look around at your fellow shipmates. You are the best our people have to offer. Stand to your duty and we'll make it home."

Everyone took encouragement from their commanding officer and returned to work.

"Weapons status?" asked the XO.

"All missile tubes and rail gun batteries are loaded; point-defence systems are operational. Persians are all in the launch-tubes awaiting commands."

"Scanners are detecting more fighter launches from the starboard fleet, now reading over one thousand fightercraft."

Jackson scanned the scanner display and looked at the XO, who gave the barest of nods.

"Launch the Persians and tell them to move to the starboard side but to hold at defence position Omega. Rotate the ship to bring main guns to bear on the starboard fleet."

"Sir?" asked the XO, not fully understanding the order.

"I don't think we'd last very long in a fight with either fleet but the bigger fleet is purely military, that makes it a more imminent threat in my book."

Both the tactical and helm officers nodded in confirmation. "Comms, are we receiving any transmissions from either fleet?"

"We're picking up some scrambled transmissions from both fleets but the computer can't even begin to translate them until we decode them but, without a base language it will take hours."

The XO looked over at the comm officer and grunted. "By the looks of those two fleets, we don't have hours. Just by the sheer numbers and, assuming that they're fighters are at least as good as ours, probably better, we'll be lucky to last thirty minutes in a shooting war."

-

Orion looked out of his cockpit at the array of ships in front of him. He could about just make out little specks of light that were the ships in the second, smaller, alien fleet. His scanner beeped as a new contact appeared.

"_Atlantis_, Orion. I've got a new intermittent contact bearing two-six-five mark three-three-nine, range five. I'm requesting permission to investigate."

"Negative, Orion. We're not seeing any new contact there. You are ordered to stay in formation."

Orion watched as this ghost contact seemed to blink in an out of existence. "_Atlantis_, this is important. I can feel it."

"Orion, stay in formation and await further orders."

He kept on watching as the ghost kept moving sporadically in and out of scanner contact until he finally had had enough.

"Dragon, have you got my back?"

"Always, why?" came the confused response.

Orion smiled to himself. "I've got one of those feelings." Before Dragon could reply Orion rolled his fighter out of formation and moved off to investigate his ghost-ship.

"Orion," the voice of Artemis came over his comm-system. "You were given a direct order to hold formation. Get back here now." Orion continued to watch his ghost-ship on the scanners. "Orion, if you're not back in formation in thirty seconds I'll have you thrown in the brig." A second fighter broke from formation. "Dragon, where are you going?"

"Don't worry Sir I'll keep an eye on him."

"Both of you get back here right now. I'm giving you a direct order damm-it!!"

Dragon pulled his fighter alongside Orions' and looked across at his long-time friend. "You sure you want to do this?"

Orion looked back at him and nodded. "Ok then, I'm with you but it had better be worth it."

The two Cobra-class fighters raced away from their home base to see what this new scanner contact was as simultaneously one fighter from the port fleet broke away to do the same. As the ghost came into view Orion gasped in disbelief.

"Orion, what is it? Orion? JAMES?!"

Orion snapped out of his daze and looked from Dragon back to the ghost and back again.

"I've seen that ship before."

Dragon shook his head. "Orion, you're losing it. No-one has ever _seen_ alien ships."

Orion stared intently as the ghost buzzed around a second fighter of similar shape. "I have, or I've seen that ghost before."

His thoughts drifted off to think about something that happened before and was now happening again.

"Orion, snap out of it!" yelled Dragon over the comm-system. "What the hell are you talking about?"

Orion continued to ignore his friend as he opened an encrypted comm-channel.

-

Jackson stood on the bridge and watched the ships' scanners as first one then two fighters from the Trojans broke formation and moved off in search of a scanner contact that the _Atlantis_ could not see. He listened to the conversation between the two pilots while he watched for any signs of movement from either fleet. A single fighter craft from the port fleet had broken ranks and was heading towards the same area as the two pilots.

"_Atlantis_, Orion. I need to speak with Actual."

Jackson picked up a nearby headset. "This is Actual, go ahead Orion."

"Sir, it's the same ship."

Jackson stared as the ghost finally appeared on the ships' scanners. "What do you mean the same ship?"

"It's the one I saw over Olympus. The one that…"

Jackson interrupted before Orion could continue. "Belay that talk, Lieutenant. That is classified information and you will not discuss it here and now."

"But sir.." started Orion.

"No buts soldier." Jackson paused to wait for another complaint that never came. "Now are you sure it's the same ship?"

"Yes sir. It's identical in shape, size, colouring and markings, requesting permission to try to open communications with alien fleet."

Jackson looked one more time at the overall scanner picture. On one side stood a fleet of four capital ships and one thousand fighters, on the other was a fleet of seventy ships but only one military vessel and one hundred fighters. Slam bang in the middle stood the _Atlantis_, dwarfed by the warships on either side of her, and her thirty-six fighters. Judging by the layout of the two fleets they were ready to battle with the _Atlantis_ about to be caught in the middle unless something was done, and fast.

"Permission granted Lieutenant, good luck."

-

Orion smiled to himself as he got his permission. He slowly turned his ship until he was directly in front of the two fighters from only a distance of two hundred meters.

"Roger, Actual, attempting first contact now."

He pressed a small button in the cockpit and from the front of his ship a small light flashed. He pressed the button twice then stopped for ten seconds. Next he pressed the button three times in quick succession then again stopped for ten seconds. Finally he presses the button five times quickly and stopped. Now he waited to see a response.

While Orion was attempting communication with the port fleet Jackson gave the order for two pilots on the starboard side to attempt communications with that fleet.

Orion watched as one of the unknown fighters flashed its' lights back at him seven times. He waited and watched as it then flashed him eleven times.

"_Atlantis_, Orion. One of the bogeys has understood the message and responded. I'm going to move closer now."

"Roger Orion, be careful."

"Dragon, stay here in case anything happens."

"Don't worry I've always got your back."

Orion eased his fighter forward and watched as one of the bogeys did the same. Slowly, tediously the distance between them diminished until the cockpit outline came into view. Orion slowed down until he was barely moving forward at a crawl as the other fighter did the same. Orion stared at the other pilot in disbelief as he or she stared back at him.

"_Atlantis_, Orion. You're not gonna believe this, they're human."

"Orion this is Actual, say that again."

Orion felt he was in a dream as he waved at the other pilot who waved back. He noticed the second fighter drift alongside the first and saw another human face. He couldn't tell if they were male or female but they looked unmistakably human.

"Actual, Dragon, either I've gone as mad as Orion or something is wrong with the universe as we're both seeing two human faces."

Orion stole a glance to his left at his friend before returning his questioning eyes back to the two human fighter pilots in front of him.

"Afto megalyturos Apollon tου machiasteri_ Galactica,_ Poias est eseis?" Orion listened intently as the lead pilot talked on an open channel to him.

"You got any idea what that means?" asked Dragon as his eyes darted from the two humans to Orion and back again.

"Apollon is Apollo, the Greek god. I'm guessing it's his call-sign. Megalyteros sounds like ancient Greek for Major. _Atlantis_, Orion, I need you to run that through a Greek translator and see what you get."

"Acknowledged Orion but it'll take some time to set up the comm-system to handle Greek translations, till then try to you're on your own. Try not to start a war."

Orion chuckled slightly. "I'll try my best. Let's see, machiasteri, that sounds like battle-star?" he looked over at Dragon hoping for some support but Dragon just shrugged.

"Sorry, I have enough trouble with English as is." he paused as he noticed some movement among the two humans. "I think they're waiting for an answer."

Orion saw that the two pilots were busy talking to each other and their faces showed slight signs of worry. Or at least one did, he stared at the first fighter, the one that hadn't talked, the pilot looked relaxed, almost serene in his or her cockpit. He issued a silent prayer before opening the comm-system.

"Afto ypopsminagos Orion tου Gi ploio_Atlantis_. Emeis thelo eirini." He watched as both humans almost jumped out of their cockpits at the word terrarium.

"What did you say to them?" asked Dragon as he also watched the fidgeting of the two pilots.

"We're from Earth and we come in peace, I think."

"How the hell do you even know ancient Greek?" ask Dragon as the waited for the next message.

Orion smiled to himself. "Would you believe that an old girlfriend taught it to me."

"Opous Gi?" asked the first pilot.

Orion stared at them carefully. The speaker, Apollo, seemed to be both worried and excited when he said the word 'Gi'.

"Gi?." stated Dragon. "That's Earth right? What do they want with Earth?"

Orion shook his head, even though Dragon was not looking at him. "I don't know but, he spoke the word with a reverence. Almost like it was a holy word?"

He opened the general comm-system again. "Opous blepe eseis apo?"

"Doudeka apoikiaus. Gi ous dekateotruto apoikia ouanduras." came the almost cryptic reply.

"They say they are from the Twelve Colonies and that Earth is the thirteenth colony of man. At least I think that's what they're saying."

"Impossible, Earth is the birthplace of mankind. They can't be from other human colonies as we don't have any, it's just not possible that they're here now."

Orion gestured to the two human pilots across from them. "Well, they're human and they're in outer space. Can you come up with a better solution?"

"All fighters, this is the _Atlantis_." The voice of the comm officer broke into their conversation, muting the discussion. "We have lost contact with our Trojan contact group. All remaining Trojans are to move to investigate. Persians are to move to defence position Delta while Spartans are to fall back to position Omega."

"Looks like our time is up, Guess we'll have to leave our new friends for now." said Dragon as he slowly backed away from the two strange human pilots and turned back towards the _Atlantis_.

Orion waved to the two pilots. "Goodbye."

He turned around and headed back as well. On his scanners he saw the two fighters move to re-join their own comrades. "_Atlantis_, Orion. I'm advising that the port fleet be designated as friendly. They could have attacked us just now but didn't also they seem to see Earth as something very important, almost holy."

"You suggestion is taken under advisement, Orion. Return to your post."

Quickly Dragon and Orion moved back into formation. Artemis came up alongside Orion and glared over at him.

"If you ever do something like that again I'll have your ass hanging from a wall. The same goes for you too Dragon."

"Promises, promises." muttered Dragon as Orion watched were the two fighters moved to in their formation. They both took up positions near the centre of the group confirming that they were at least senior pilots, if not the CAG for their fleet.

-

Jackson had watched the scanners as the two contact groups moved out towards their respective target fleets. He had a sense of foreboding as both groups started first contact protocols. All around the bridge, and the ship itself as the audio was broadcast over the intercom, the crew listened and waited as Earth made first contact with extra-terrestrial life, even if it was another group of humans.

As Orions' and Dragons' reports came in, a sense of anticipation grew among the crew at the idea that the aliens were actually human. Jackson began to grow worried as the second contact team failed to report in.

"Comms, try to raise Flat-top and Rabbit. See why they aren't talking."

The comm officer nodded and tried to raise the pilots in question. "No good sir. I'm not getting any response from them."

"It looks like they're just drifting in space." stated the XO as he looked up at the scanner-screens. "Why aren't they doing anything?"

"Order the rest of their squadron to intercept them. Move the others to compensate." Jackson ordered.

The XO moved over beside Jackson. "Something on your mind sir?" he whispered. Jackson turned to him and gave him a concerned look.

"There's a storm coming, something bad is about to happen."

The XO nodded slightly then began to move to the weapons console.

"Sir," started the Comm officer. "Jackknife reports that both Flat-top and Rabbit are drifting. They seem to have lost power."

Jackson shared a confused look with his XO as the officer continued. "Message coming in now sir."

"_Atlantis_, Jackknife. The alien fighters don't seem to have any discernable cockpit. I think they're robotic in nature. Hold on, they're emitting some kind of beam at us. Not sure what it's doing. Computer says it's… Mayday…. power gone… virus… help."

"Starboard fleet is moving towards us." Jackson watched as one thousand alien fighters moved towards his ship as the Trojans just drifted on the scanner. Suddenly all twelve fighters in the squadron disappeared.

"What happened?"

"They're gone sir. Sensors have detected explosions at all twelve locations." An alarm sounded. "Weapons launch. The starboard fleet are launching missiles at us."

"Activate point-defence guns, full suppression." yelled the XO.

"Order all fighters to intercept starboard fleet but disable part of their computer networks first. The enemy can hack our systems so isolate the comm-system from the rest of the network. Configure our systems to do the same."

Jackson and his XO watched the scanner-screens as their twenty-four fighters moved off to engage one thousand bogeys.

"What's the status of the FTL drive?" asked the XO.

The engineer just shook his head. "It's fried. Best guess is about a day to fix and even then we're out of the fuel it needs."

"Guess this is it then." said the XO as ship shook as two missiles pierced the defensive screen and struck the _Atlantis_. Jackson watched as four of his fighter vanished from the screen. About fifty enemy fighters looked to have been destroyed but he couldn't be sure given to the large number on-screen. Just then an idea struck him.

"Has the comm-system been removed from the network?" the officer nodded. "Then run the translation program Orion suggested and open a channel to the port fleet."

"Channel open sir."

Jackson picked up his headset. "This is Admiral Jackson of the Earth cruiser _Atlantis_ to the human fleet. We are under attack and are requesting immediate help."

The whole crew waited for an answer.

"Sir, port fighters are moving towards us now as is the military ship."

Before anyone could comment a voice came over the comm-system.

"This ….. Battlestar _Galactica_ to …. Earth ... _Atlantis_. ….. coming."

Jackson watched as the human fighters joined his own pilots in defending the_Atlantis_ from alien attack and issued a silent prayer to the commanding officer of the _Galactica_.


	3. 3

Sorry for the delay but I've been far busier than I'd like with work and family issues, plus my proof reader/sounding board has become very busy as well so I'm having to do that by myself. I'll try and update these chronicles every two weeks or so.

Also, this is the end of ep 1 but I'm thinking of adding eps 2 & 3 to this to keep it all together and making a longer first ep, thus making it easier to follow each story arc.

As always suggestions and comments are most welcome.

3.

"Tactical, target the lead capital ship and fire main railguns." Ordered Jackson as another missile struck the _Atlantis_.

"Aye sir."

"At this range, we'll be lucky to get past their point-defences even if they don't bother to move." Stated the XO.

Jackson nodded as he answered. "I know but we can't get any closer or we'll be ripped to shreds."

"Radiological alarm!" screamed the scanner officer. "Alien fighters are launching nukes!" Jackson and the XO watched as the three highlighted missiles closed on the _Atlantis._

"Order all fighters to get away. Concentrate all guns on those missiles!" They watched as one then two of the missiles were stopped by the ships' guns. One managed to slip through though.

"Brace for impact!" yelled Jackson as the missile detonated against the side of the ship. All over the bridge consoles and terminals exploded as the hip was rocked by the explosion.

"Rad levels below expected norms." Stated the engineer has he pulled himself back up off the floor. "The new armour did a better job than anticipated."

The XO give a quick sigh. "Be thankful for small miracles."

Jackson looked up at the multiple scanner displays and pointed at one. "Where are they going?" The XO and scanner officer looked at the same screen.

"I've got twenty bogeys that are moving around us. They're not engaging." stated the scanner officer as plotted their vectors.

"Dammed odd." muttered the XO. "What are they up too?"

"Their course will take them into the human fleet."

"Do those ships have any weapons?"

The officer shook his head. "Nothing we can detect. They seem like civilian ships."

"Can any of our fighters intercept them?"

The officer took a quick glance at the scanners before answering. "Artemis and Wildcat are they only ones close enough to stand a chance." Jackson nodded slightly as one of the screens zoomed in to show the two pilots relative to the enemy task-force.

"Order them to intercept and engage those fighters. Tell them to protect the civilian fleet at all costs." The comm officer nodded as he relayed the orders to the two fighters.

"Are you sure that's wise sir?" asked the XO. "We have barely enough fighters left as it is." Jackson looked at the screen and indicated the civilian ships as the ship rocked once more from another missile strike.

"Our duty is to protect the innocent at all costs even if they're not from Earth they are still civilians on a battlefield." The XO nodded slightly in acceptance of his CO's orders.

"Sir, civilian ships are disappearing. It looks like they're jumping out of the combat zone." stated the scanner officer.

"Status of our fighters?" asked the XO as Jackson watched the displays.

"We've only got nineteen, correction eighteen, still flying. Our 'allies' have about eighty to ninety still airborne. Enemy numbers are about seven hundred." The ship shook once more as two missiles broke through the _Atlantis's_ defences and exploded against the hull.

"Hull integrity down to fifty-four percent, we can't take much more of this." On-screen one of the capital ships disappeared.

"Sir, an enemy carrier has been destroyed, a second is beginning to withdraw very slowly."

"Incredible, at that range their point defences should have been able to easily stop our shots." stated Jackson.

"Or they should at least have had the common sense to move." finished the XO.

The officer just shrugged. "Regardless sirs, that's what we're seeing." He looked down at his scanners again. "The _Galactica_ is concentrating fire on the retreating carrier."

"Tactical, do like-wise." The tactical officer nodded and followed the order.

"Mayday mayday, this is Artemis, I'm declaring an emergency. I'm venting air and my port engine is jammed open, starboard and central engines are non-responsive and I'm in an un-controlled lateral spin. I'm requesting immediate assistance."

"Where is she?" demanded the XO.

"Approximately one hundred klicks away, bearing two-nine-nine mark zero-four-zero." The officer carried out another check of the scanners. "I'm reading four bogeys closing in fast on her position." Jackson grabbed his headset.

"Artemis, this is Actual, you've got four bogeys bearing down on you. Can you get back to the _Atlantis_?"

"Not likely." The four bogeys closed rapidly on her. "I'm sorry dad, looks like I've failed you."

Jackson watched as his daughter was about to die. "Who's the nearest pilot to her?" he asked.

"Orion sir but he'd have to fly through part of the _Galacticas'_ firing solution to get to her." Jackson slumped as he heard the news even as he made his decision.

"I can't lose her." He picked up the headset one more time. "Orion, this is Actual. Artemis is in trouble."

"Some things never change." came Orion's quick response.

"Shut it! She's out of control and there's four bogeys inbound. Get to her ASAP." There was a pause as Orion checked his own scanners.

"Sir, to get to her in time I'll have to fly through.."

Jackson cut him off. "I know." There was a pause as both men realised what as being asked.

"On my way."

Jackson released a breath he didn't know he was holding. "Thank you."

He waited and watched as Orion dove down towards the _Galactica_ to try to save his daughter.

-

Artemis tried to contain the growing sense of nausea she was feeling as her fighter spun around. She tried her best to watch her scanners but everything was spinning around on them as her ship spun.

"_Atlantis_ Actual this isArtemis. I'm sorry dad, I've failed you."

Some on the bridge gasped as they realised that Artemis was the Admirals' daughter. Neither had ever mentioned it before.

"Don't give up yet Diane, there's still time." The worry in his voice was un-mistakable.

"How long till they get here?" She asked, not really wanting to know the answer .

"About thirty seconds." She caught a glimpse of them as she spun.

"I see them." She stared as they came ever closer. "Oh god, I don't want to die."

-

Jackson, along with most of the bridge crew, watched the screens in horror as the four bogeys bore down on his daughter even as Orion weaved frantically through the _Galacticas'_defensive fire.

The scanner officer counted down the time till they intercepted her. "Ten seconds, five…. four…. three…. two."

"Come on Orion." whispered Jackson, "You two have a destiny to fulfil."

-

Artemis watched in horror as two of the bogeys began an attack run towards her. Just as she thought they were going to fire they exploded and two human fighters shot past her to engage the other two.

"Sorry I'm late." Said Orion as another bogey exploded. "I got held up talking to our new friends." Before Artemis could question the statement Orion brought his fighter alongside hers.

She heard, and felt, her fighter collide with something. Her spin was slowing down gradually. In disbelief she looked to starboard to see the face of Orion.

"What the hell are you doing?!" she looked down and saw that her wing had become coupled with his and following his intentional collision and now the two were intertwined together.

"Learning to tango! What does it look like I doing?! Now shut up until I get us under control." answered Orion with a smile as he fought his controls to cancel the spin now being felt by both fighters.

She didn't know whether to thank him or kill him. In the end she just chose to shout at him. "Are you crazy? You've killed yourself as-well as me now. We'll never make it back to the _Atlantis_ like this."

She watched as he lined up their combined ships with something far bigger than the _Atlantis_.

"We're not going there. We're going there." He said as he indicated the_Galactica_ with a slight nod of his head

-

Jackson watched as the twined reading of Artemis and Orion moved into the_Galactica_ and disappeared from his scanners.

"Message from the _Galactica,_ they report that both fighters have landed. They're sending rescue teams now." Jackson nodded and prayed that the fates would let him have just one more chance to see his daughter.

The ship shook violently as three missiles stuck.

"Hull integrity is down to fifteen percent." stated the engineer. "We can't take much more."

"All civilian ships are away. The _Galactica_ is asking us to power up our jump engines as well." Another missile struck and the central display unit came loose. As it crashed to the ground Jackson was thrown backwards into a nearby bulkhead.

"Medic to the bridge!" screamed the XO.

"Sir," started the com officer. "What do I tell the _Galactica_?" The XO stared around the battered bridge of the _Atlantis_ and came to his decision.

"All hands abandon ship. This is not a drill." The bridge crew stared at him in disbelief. "You heard me, abandon ship. Sound the alarm and order all escape shuttles and our remaining fighters to head to the_Galactica_, that's a direct order." The alarm sounded as two of the bridge officers picked up the Admiral and carried him off the bridge.

All over the ship people grabbed what they could carry and ran for their designated evacuation point, whether that was the launch bay and the shuttles waiting there or the nearest escape pod.

The XO looked around the bridge and saw that four officers had not abandoned their posts.

"Go! That's an order!" he yelled at them.

"No sir. We will not leave. Someone must stay to let the others have a chance." The XO gave them all a grim nod of thanks.

"It has been an honour and a privilege to serve with all of you." he said. "Inform the _Galactica_ of what's happening."

"Aye sir." the XO turned to the engineer who still stood at his post.

"Can you program the engines to overload?"

"Yes sir. Why?" asked the confused engineer. The XO turned away without answering.

"Helm, divert all available power to the engines."

"Course sir?" the XO looks at the scanners one last time as an explosion occurred in the landing bay killing over half the crew.

-

Dragon watched as the second shuttle launched from the _Atlantis_ before the landing bay was engulfed in flames as a missile struck just behind the third escape shuttle just as it was starting to launch obliterating it and anything or one in the bay. He watched as the _Atlantis_ powered up her sub-light engines and moved closer to its' alien attackers.

"_Atlantis_, Dragon. What are you doing?"

"Buying you time." Came the answer from the XO. "Now get those shuttles to the _Galactica._" Dragon watched as the _Atlantis_ moved steadily closer towards the enemy carriers. One of the shuttles exploded as it came under fire from the enemy fighters but the other made it into one of the landing bays of the _Galactica_. He waited until all the other pilots had landed before landing himself.

Just as he was about to enter the bay he saw a massive explosion from where the _Atlantis_ had been.

As soon as he touched down on the deck he saw the landing bays of his new home close shut and he felt a tingling in his body.

"Here we go again." he said as the _Galactica_ jumped away.


	4. 4

OK, decided to go with an extended ep 1.

I apologise if things seem to jump around from one perspective to another then back again but I really wanted to try to work the story from both the Terran and Colonial sides without having to find some way to differentiate between the two languages.

- means a change of viewpoint in the scene.

--- means a change of scene.

4.

**Thirty Minutes Earlier:**

"Who's in Viper 3?" asked Helo.

Adama looked up at the DRADIS display before turning to Dualla, "Dee, contact Viper 3 and find out who's flying one of our birds."

Before Dualla had a change to check the answer came over the wireless.

"_Galactica_, Apollo, I'm in Viper 3. I have a bogey at my ten, I'm going to check it out."

Adama looked over at Helo as the message came in. "Captain, remind me to have a word with Apollo when this is over." Helo nodded as Adama turned back to watch the DRADIS.

"Sir," started Gaeta, "One of the Basestars is turning to face the other four."

"Something's not right." muttered Tigh, "Confirm all bogeys are Cylons." Adama gave his XO a quizzical look as Gaeta and Dualla checked the warbook.

"The nearest enemy ship is not in the warbook." stated Gaeta.

"What does that mean?" asked Roslin.

Adama turned to her as he started to answer. "Either it's a new Cylon ship."

"Unlikely." commented Tigh.

"Or it's something or someone else." finished Adama. The comment hung in the air as everyone stared at the DRADIS is hope.

"I'm having trouble getting a clear sensor fix on the unknown." said Gaeta, "It seems to be able to block our scanners and targeting software."

"What about their fighters?"

Gaeta gave a slight shake of his head as he answered. "Same thing, I think they launched two squadrons but we can't seem to get better then a twenty-five percent lock on any of them."

"Here's hoping the Cylons are having just as much trouble." commented Tigh.

Before anyone could remark Apollos' voice came over the wireless. "Kara."

Adama felt like his jaw had just hit the floor.

"That's not possible." said Roslin.

Tigh tried to stifle a laugh as he shared a very quick stare with Tory. "But it would be so like her."

"Don't freak out, it really is me." Starbuck said over the wireless. "It's gonna be ok." Everyone listened in complete disbelief as she continued. "I've been to Earth. I know where it is and I'm going to take us there."

Everyone on the bridge tried to wrap their brains around what they were hearing.

"Kara? How?" asked Apollo, as everyone thought the same thing.

"It's a long story but trust me Lee. This moment is history in the making."

"Sir, I've got two possible bogeys moving to Apollos' location from the unknown ship." Stated Gaeta.

"Dee, warn him now." Dualla passed along the warning as the seconds started to tick by in Galacticas' CIC as everyone waited for the other shoe to drop.

"_Galactica_, Apollo, unknown ship is transmitting a message in prime numbers, request permission to answer."

Adama gave Dualla a slight nod and she spoke to Apollo. "Apollo, _Galactica_, you are clear to respond. Repeat, you're clear to respond."

"Acknowledged." There was a slight pause as Apollo sent the reply then started to broadcast on an unsecured channel. "This is Major Apollo of the Battlestar _Galactica_. Who are you?"

Again time seemed to slow down as everyone waited on tender hooks for the answer.

"This is Lieutenant Orion of the Earth shop _Atlantis_. I come peace."

"Earth?" muttered Roslin and Adama simultaneously.

"From Earth?" asked Apollo in disbelief.

"Where you from?" asked Orion back.

"The twelve colonies. Earth is the lost thirteenth colony."

There was a deathly silence as everyone waited for a reply that never came.

"Sir," started Gaeta. "I think the Earth fighters are moving closer to the Cylon fleet."

"Not good." mumbled Tigh.

"Order Apollo and Starbuck to rejoin the other Vipers." ordered Adama.

For a third time in a matter of minutes, time seemed to slow as the two Vipers rejoined the formation.

Gaeta visibly jumped as the sensors picked up new signals. "I'm reading multiple explosions near to the Earth ship. It looks like their fighters have been attacked."

"Cylon fleet is moving!" reported Gaeta. "The Earth ship is under attack!"

"Incoming signal from the Earth ship." stated Dualla.

"On speakers." ordered Adama.

"This …. Admiral Jackson of ….. Earth …….. _Atlantis_ to …. human fleet. … … under attack …. requesting ………. help" Everyone on the bridge listened in the plea came in.

"Dee, order all vipers to go weapons-free and engage the Cylons and order the fleet to jump as soon as they can. Full power to all engines; get us beside the _Atlantis_ ASAP." The bridge crew snapped to follow the orders as Adama picked up his phone. "Dee, give me ship-to-ship." Dualla pressed a few buttons before nodding at the Admiral.

"This is the Battlestar _Galactica_ to the Earth ship _Atlantis_. We're coming."

---

As the last of the fighters landed and the _Galactica_, the sole remaining Battlestar jumped away from the Ionian nebula to rejoin the rag-tag fleet.

Up on the bridge Adama shared a look with Roslin as Tigh and Tory did the same, but for entirely different reasons.

"Helo, you have the conn. Get the CAP up and running as soon as you can." Helo nodded as the group of four walked off the bridge.

As they walked through Adama turned to his XO.

"Tigh, I want you to escort our 'guests' to an isolation chamber. I don't want anyone to have any contact with them until Cottle has a chance to check them for viruses." Tigh saluted before heading off down a different corridor from the others.

"And where are we going Admiral?" asked Roslin, though she already knew to the answer.

"To see if it is really 'her'." The trio continued walking towards the brig where the returned pilot was being held until Adama was satisfied it was indeed her.

---

Adama looked through the bars at the young woman staring back at him.

"Is it really you?" he heard himself asking. She nodded at him as she answered.

"Yes sir, it is."

"How?" asked Apollo, who was sitting to his left while Roslin sat to his right.

"There are more important things going on than how I'm here. The final acts have started. The prophecy is coming true once more." Apollo stared at her in disbelief.

"Which prophecy do you mean?" asked Roslin as though she already knew the answer.

Starbuck shook her head, "I don't know. I know that these people hold our fates in their hands and that they are important but I don't know why. Strange isn't it?"

Adama started to speak but he was cot of by an alarm sounding. He reached for the nearest intercom.

"This is the Admiral, what's going on?"

"We just received a code black from Colonel Tigh," answered Gaeta from CIC. "He's ordered the entire Starboard flight deck sealed off."

"Very well, I'm on my way back now. Major Adama is on his way to the deal now."

"Sir?"

"You heard me Lieutenant."

"Aye sir," Adama put down the phone and turned to his son.

"I'm re-instating you for now but don't disappoint me again." Apollo nodded solemnly as Adama and Roslin walked out of the brig.

"What did the Admiral mean by re-instating you?" asked Starbuck, her hands on her hips and slight smile creeping onto his lips. "Who's been a bad boy while I've been away?"

Apollo laughed slightly as he turned back to her. "I defended Baltar at his trial."

Starbuck whistled. "Man, no wonder he's pissed at you. I take it you lost."

Apollo shook his head as started to leave. "Actually I won, Baltar was found innocent."

Starbuck's smirk left her face. "How the hell did that happen?" Apollo didn't answer as he started to leave the brig himself. "Lee? Where are you going? Let me out of here?"

Apollo shook his head ruefully, "Sorry, Admiral's orders. Until you've been checked out by Doc Cottle you're to remain in the brig."

Starbuck grabbed the bars as she watched him walk out of the brig and order the door closed. "Lee you can't leave me in here! I'm not a Cylon Lee! I know the way to Earth! Lee, LEE!!!!!"

---

Tigh stalked through the corridors as towards the starboard launch-bay. As he stepped on the upper gangway for the bay he caught sight of Tyrol coming up behind him.

"Chief, why aren't you in the bay?" He demanded. Tyrol gave him an exasperated look as he answered.

"One of the weapon stores was damaged during the battle. Luckily none of the rounds detonated but we've got to disarm about half of the warheads just to be safe." Tigh gave a slight nod as he closed the door behind him.

The scene that greeted the pair caused Tighs' blood to freeze. Members of the deck crew and some of the _Galacticas'_ pilots were dancing and hugging some very confused Terran pilots. Tigh took a step forward and gripped the handrail as his temper started to boil.

"What in the name of the lords is going here?" he shouted. Everyone on the deck turned and looked up at him.

"Sir," started one of the pilots.

"Have their people been checked by a med-tech?" The crew members of the _Galactica_ stared at each other hoping someone answered. Tighs' knuckles turned white as he tightened his grip on the rail.

He turned to face the chief. "Code Black." Tyrol's face whitened as Tigh spoke.

"Sir?" he asked, visibly shaken by the words. Tigh just stared at him for a second before turning back to face the cowering mechanics and pilots.

"I'm declaring a Code Black. This bay is now under quarantine. Anyone who attempts to leave will be detained and if they survive will be sentenced to court-martial." An alarm sounded to accentuate the Colonel's statement as the bulkhead doors were sealed by a technician on the bridge. The doors now would only open from the outside and everyone inside was trapped until the crisis was over.

-

Dragon watched the sudden change in the deck crews reaction as the older man had spoken from the balcony. Taking that moment he turned to one of the other pilots.

"Shockwave, how many have we got left?" Shockwave took a quick head count and one of the bridge officers talked to Dragon.

"I can spot about twelve, mainly our squadron but a couple of others too." Dragon gave the slightest of nods.

"That gives us just over thirty survivors."

"Have you managed to get Orion or Artemis on their comm-units?"

Dragon shook his head. "Nothing, either they're unconscious or…" he let the sentence hang as he noticed that the members of the _Galacticas'_ deck crew were slowly moving away from the survivors.

"Get everyone over near the shuttle quickly. I think things just took a turn for the worst."

---

"Report!" ordered Adama as he stalked onto the bridge.

Helo saluted quickly before he answered."Colonel Tigh has ordered the starboard landing bay locked down under code black protocols."

Adama glanced over at Dee and placed his hand on the com-unit near him. Dee worked his controls before giving Adama the slightest of nods. Adama placed the com-unit next to his ear.

"Tell me what's going on Saul."

"Some of the deck crew and pilots decided to mingle with our new guests and forgot to follow quarantine procedures."

Adama sighed as he rubbed the bridge of his nose. "How many?" There was a short pause as Tigh turned to Tyrol for the answer.

"Looks like about fifty or so of our pilots plus almost all of Tyrols' deck crew." Adama gripped the side of the centre station to control his anger.

"So we're down to just one squadron because of some-ones over-eagerness?"

"What about the pair that crashed in the other bay?" asked Tigh, Adama turned to Helo and asked the same question.

"Doc Cottle followed full quarantine procedures and has both of the in the med-bay now. They should both live he thinks."

"He thinks?" questioned Adama. Helo shrugged slightly and handed the piece of paper to Adama.

"He says there's something different about them compared to us. He'd like to see you in about an hour once he's got the blood work back." Adama nodded and spoke back into the com-unit.

"You get all that Saul?"

"Aye sir, you go and check those two. I'll make sure those here remember the rules next time." Adama chuckled.

"Don't kill anyone Colonel."

Tigh grumbled as he replied, "Like I'd do that, Tigh out."

---

Doc Cottle frowned as Adama and Roslin looked over his test results. "As best as I can tell, they're human but there are several differences."

Roslin looked up from her report. "No genetic anomalies? How is that even possible?"

Cottle shrugged as a way of answering. "Dammed if I know, my best guess is genetic engineering but if it is then they're ahead of us in certain technologies."

"Could they be Cylons?" asked Adama.

"Doubtful, we've got another thirty or so down in the landing bay now but just to be sure, I'll start the test on the male as soon as I get back Starbucks'." Adama placed the report down on the table and rubbed the bridge of his nose. The fleet-wide power failure, Starbuck's return and the appearance of the Earthlings, he didn't believe in coincidence but what else could it have been.

"How are they?" Roslin asked.

Cottle pointed to the first of the two occupied isolation chambers. "The female is heavily sedated now. We think she'll recover but I've honestly got no idea when that'll be."

"And Orion?" questioned Adama. A groan could suddenly be heard coming from the second chamber.

"Looks like he's starting to come around." The trio moved over to examine Orion. They watched as he slowly tried to sit up only to feel his restraints hold him down. He started to fight against them as Cottle opened the comm-link to the isolation chamber.

"Easy there son, you've got a nasty bruise and your head so we don't want you up and about too soon." Orion stared at them quizzically as he tried to translate what Cottle had said.

"You have a head injury. You need to stay still for now." Restated Cottle, Orion nodded after taking a second to translate.

Adama leaned over the microphone. "You're on the Battlestar _Galactica_. Your ship was destroyed by the Cylons."

Orion turned his head slowly, first one way then the other. "Other pilot?" he asked warily.

"She's sleeping now, but she's ok." stated Cottle. Orion nodded.

Adama looked from Orion to the sleeping female and back. "Wife?" he asked drawing stares from Roslin and Cottle.

Orion was taken aback by the abruptness of the question but realised that it had to be due to the language barrier. He shook his head remorsefully, "No, captain air…." he paused as he struggled to find the word.

"Group?" guessed Adama. Orion nodded at Adama and gave him a slight smile of thanks. "We say CAG for short." Orion said the word a few times to get used to it.

Roslin looked over at the sleeping female. "What's her name?"

"Diane Towers, Artemis." answered Orion quickly, "I, Lieutenant James MacLeod.."

"Orion." stated Adama, cutting him off. Orion pointed to Adama who took the hint. "I'm Admiral Adama, commander of the Battlestar _Galactica_. This is President Laura Roslin and doctor Cottle. You are in the _Galacticas'_ sickbay, hospital. We have other members of your crew onboard at the moment as-well." Orion again tried to sit up only to be held down by his restraints.

"Need to see them."

"Later." stated Cottle, "you need to rest for now. You're lucky to be alive after that crash."

Orion took the hint and closed his eyes as Cottle turned to Roslin and Adama. "I'm going to keep them under observation for now but I don't see any problems occurring."

"How soon can they be moved to the landing bay?" asked Adama. Cottle glared at him before answering.

"Sometime tomorrow but I'd advise against it. These two will provide a baseline for my samples for the Earthlings in the bay."

Adama gave him a cynical look as he started to walk away. "I'll take that under advisement doctor, but the moment they can be moved I want to be informed."

---

Dragon turned his attention from the cautiously retreating humans back to his own survivors. "Did the Admiral make it?" he asked the shuttle pilot.

The pilot shook his head slowly. "He was on his way to the bay when we launched. He'd been injured and the XO had taken command."

Dragon looked over the survivors in the shuttle before turning back to the pilot. "Is the translation software installed in the shuttle?"

The pilot started up the ships' computer and ran the necessary checks. "Yes but the computer's reporting that it can't access the files needed."

Dragon groaned slightly at the news. "How long to fix it?"

The pilot shrugged as he scanned the computer screens. "Best guess would be about an hour, worst, about a six." Dragon indicated for the pilot to get to work then stepped out of the shuttle.

"It seems our hosts are getting little wary of us." remarked Shockwave as he pointed over to a group of pilots who were giving them concerned glances while keeping their hands on their side-arms.

Dragon stared at the group for a little while before turning back to Shockwave. "I want all pilots to take up defensible positions around the shuttle. Also, see if anyone here speaks ancient Greek." Shockwave gave him a curious stare as Dragon waved him of. "Long story, suffice as to say that these people speak something similar to it."

"How is that even possible?" asked one of the other pilots.

"Long story which unfortunately, I don't actually know." stated Dragon as he watched the movements of the group. "All I do know is that these people are human, technologically advanced and not from Earth."

"That's just not possible."

Dragon turned to look at the pilot as he pointed at the humans across from them. "Well what else could they be robots? Like the ones that attacked Earth over twenty years ago? Last time I checked they don't look like walking chrome toasters!!" the pilot shied away as Dragon opened up on him. "Sorry Reaper, I'm just as confused as you are."

Reaper turned to face the humans. "So what do we do now?"

Dragon shrugged as he watched a small group come towards them. "Dammed if I know."

---

Starbuck looked up as the door to the brig opened and Roslin walked in.

"Madam President." said Starbuck as she stood up.

Roslin gave her the slightest of nods, "Captain." Roslin sits down on a chair and leaned forward ever so slightly. "We need to have a talk."

---


	5. 5

Sorry for the delay. I'll try and get the last part of this ep up by early next month.

As always any comments or ideas are most welcome.

----------------

Tigh glanced up as one of the Earthlings came out of their shuttle. "Have all the bulkheads been sealed and manned with marines?"

Tyrol nodded as he answered. "Yeah, also Major Adama has taken over the security details outside the bay."

"You mean he's back in uniform now?" grumbled Tigh as he took a quick glance around to see that no-one was in earshot. "So be it. Where are Sam and Tory?"

Tyrol rubbed his hands as he answered. "Sam's with the other pilots over there, I don't know where Tory is." Tigh started to speak only to stop as Showboat came walking over.

"Sir," she said as she saluted, "Major Adama has asked for a status report."

"He has now has he?" Tigh said snappily. "Tell him he'll get a report when I'm good and ready!" Showboat saluted and left to relay the message as Tigh and Tyrol started to walk over to the Earthlings.

As they got closer two marines followed behind the XO just in-case. Tigh watched as two of the Earthlings stepped forwards.

"Can you understand me?" asked Tigh a little hopefully. The two Earthlings shared a look with each other then one of them shrugged.

"Worth a try." muttered Tyrol as Hotdog and Showboat came over to join them.

"We've separated those with direct contact with the Earthlings from everyone else." stated Showboat, "but if there's anything airborne…" they all turned to face the Earthlings.

Tigh tapped his chest, "Tigh." One of the Earthlings followed suit but Tigh couldn't understand the word he said. He turned to the others but they were just as lost as him.

The second Earthling started to speak rapidly with the first until the first turned back to face Tigh. "Dragon."

Tigh nodded in relief and allowed a little smile to creep across his face. "Tyrol, Hotdog, Showboat." He said as he pointed to each in turn.

-

Dragon nodded as the old man pointed out the rest of his little group. "Any idea those names mean?"

Shockwave shook his head as he listened. "Just be glad I knew the Greek word for Dragon." Dragon started to try communicating with Tigh again when one of his pilots came running across the deck.

"Sir, we've found a crewmember who speaks Greek but she's currently unconscious." Dragon rubbed his beard as Shockwave cursed under his breath.

"Ok, the minute's she's up and around get her out here." The pilot nodded and ran back to the shuttle. Dragon turned to Shockwave. "Looks like I'll have to talk my way out of this then."

"Just try not to start another brawl." warned Shockwave.

Dragon shrugged at the comment as he grinned slightly at the memory, "How was I to know he was our new CAG."

-

Tigh looked around at the pilots and deck hands in the bay. The realisation that their over-enthusiasm may well have killed them had started to sink in. When they made it out of this they'd remember that lesson for next time.

"What's your status?" asked Apollo over the intercom.

"We've managed to separate those with direct contact with the Earthlings from those that had none." stated Tigh. "If there's any disease at play here hopefully it's not airborne or else…." The comment hung there for a minute as everyone pondered that scenario.

"Has anyone shown any symptoms?"

"It would help if we had an idea of what to look for!" grumbled Tigh. "One of the new rooks has a slight cold and two of the deck crew have mild fevers but that's it. All three had direct contact with the aliens."

"Terrans." corrected Apollo. "They're from Earth."

Tigh tried to stifle a laugh as he heard that. "Frak lot of good that's gonna do us if that's the best ship they've got."

"The_Atlantis_, their ship, managed to help us destroy two Basestars and heavily damage another in twenty minutes. If they've got a fleet of those we stand a chance."

"One of those was suicide run, major." commented Tigh. "If they need to do that with more of their ships then they'll have a big problem. How many Basestars do the Cylons have? a hundred? two? more?"

Apollo shook his head ruefully, glad that Tigh couldn't see him. "We'll see Colonel."

Just then a Viper pilot came up to Apollo. "Major, the Admiral wants to meet you in the Med-bay."

Apollo nodded and spoke back into the comm-line. "Colonel, I've got to go to the Med-bay, till I get back Racetrack will handle this side of the Code Black."

"Understood Major, get going." Tigh closed the comm-link on his side and turned to face Tyrol who'd just finished talking to Hotdog and Showboat. "What's going on?"

Tyrol and Showboat shared a concerned look before Tyrol answered. "Colonel, we may have a problem. We've got four more people complaining of either fever or a cold."

"Just great, could it get any worse?" asked Tigh rhetorically.

"Sir," started Showboat. "One of them has had no contact with the Earthlings." Tigh threw her an evil look as he digested the news. He picked back up the comm-link.

"Tigh to CIC, we've got an outbreak."

---

Starbuck looked at Roslin in disbelief. She'd expected questions about Earth, not the one she'd just gotten. "Excuse me ma'am?"

You heard me Captain, have you ever had a dream set in an opera house?"

Starbuck stared at her for a moment as she gave the question some thought. "An opera house? In a dream? No, not really, as a nightmare maybe but not in any dream."

Roslin leaned forward until she was almost touching the bars. She tried to stop her hands from as shaking as she almost whispered her question to Starbuck.

"Captain, have you ever had a dream, in an opera house, in which you saw Lieutenant Agathon, the blond Cylon model called Caprica and me?"

Starbuck laughed at this question until she realised that Roslin was serious. "No ma'am, never." She leaned forward until her face was mere inches from Roslins'. "Why?"

Roslin pulled back and just sat there staring at Starbuck.

'Is she telling the truth or is she playing with me?' she thought to herself. 'Is she really a Cylon or a messenger from the Gods?'

Starbuck watched the President intently as she did the same to her. She waited and waited as Roslin just sat there unmoving. 'Frak this!' she thought.

"So do you want to know what it's like?" she asked as a smile spread across her face.

"What what's like?" asked Roslin, curious as to what Starbuck was alluding too.

"Well, that should be obvious." Starbuck stood up, a large grin on her face. "Why Earth of course."

---

Adama gave Apollo a brief nod as his son entered the med-bay before turning back to Cottle.

"Please continue doctor."

Cottle placed the x-rays of the two Terran pilots' hands on the table for the other two men to look at. "See here, and here." he said pointing at one of the pictures followed by the other.

Adama frowned as he stared at the small black dots on both scans. "What are those?"

"Best guess I can come up with is that it's some kind of identification chip or maybe even a direct neural link to allow them to interface with their computers, but without seeing one of their ships I couldn't say for sure."

Both the Admiral and the Major stared at Cottle.

"Are you telling us that they might actually have some form of direct brain link to a computer?" asked Apollo, scared of the implications of such an idea.

Cottle shrugged as he answered. "At this point it's only a guess."

"So are they human?" queried Adama, quickly changing the subject before he could really ponder the idea of human-machine interfaces.

Cottle harrumphed as he answered. "Well given that we've got a landing bay crawling with their fellow crew members and there are only twelve Cylon models, I'd have to say yes."

"How long until you're certain?" asked Adama.

"I've still need about six hours to run Starbucks' test. After that I'll do theirs."

"Orion first," ordered Adama. "He's the only one who seems to know our language. If any one of them was a Cylon, he'd be the biggest problem. Can you remove the chip without it causing any permanent damage to the Earthlings?"

Cottle shook his head. "Not my area of expertise. There's only one person that I can think of who might know how to do that?"

"Who?" asked Adama, though he could already guess the person that Cottle was talking about.

Cottle thought for a moment before answering. "Only person I can think of is our former president, Gaius Baltar."

Adama turned to Apollo. "Where is the doctor Baltar?"

Apollo shrugged. "I don't know, as soon as the case was over Lampkin and I just left. I'm guessing he'll still be in his cell."

Adama walked over to the comm-unit. "CIC, Helo, I want you to find doctor Baltar and have him brought down o the med-bay under armed guard."

He closed the com-link and turned back to Cottle. "How are Orion and Artemis doing?"

"Both seem to be recovering much faster than I expected. He'll be able to be released in a few hours. She'll be about another day."

"Remarkable." commented Apollo as he gently shook his head. "I crash like that would put any of our pilots out of commission for a couple of weeks at least."

"That's not the half of it." stated Cottle. "She came in here with two broken ribs. I operated about three hours ago and already the ribs are beginning to mend."

Adama started to make a comment only to be cut off as the comm-link buzzed. He picked up. "This is the Admiral."

He listened intently as his expression grew more and more apprehensive. "Helo, I want the _Galactica_ placed under full-scale quarantine. Have the CAP block any ship from docking with us. Also order the guards on the port landing bay to be doubled."

"Sir?" asked Apollo as Adama placed down the comm-link.

Adama looked at Cottle. "Doctor, you'd better get a hazmat team down to the bay. We've got a confirmed outbreak."

"Bloody stupid viper-jocks, why can't they use their brains instead off their…." muttered Cottle as he moved across the med-bay to get his medical gear from the storage area.

Adama turned and left Cottle to his work. Apollo raced to catch up with his father and gave him a concerned look.

"So you think one of them is a Cylon?"

Adama stopped as he turned to face his son. "We've only ever seen seven models, even on New Caprica, when they had no reason to keep them from us, we never saw the final five. I have to believe that they're out there somewhere and my gut tells me that one of the Earthlings.."

"Terrans." corrected Apollo.

"That one of the Terrans is a Cylon." Adama paused for a second to let that idea sink in before he started talking again. "I want you to talk to Orion, see if he knows the way to Earth."

"What about the outbreak?"

"I'll deal with that, I need you here. Orion will hopefully remember you and might be more trusting because of it." Apollo nodded, and after a quick salute, turned back towards the med-bay. He took one more look at the pictures before walking over to the isolation chambers to see if Orion was awake.

---

Dragon tried to keep control of his anger as the old one-eyed-man kept trying to talk to him. Slowly this officer was getting just as angry and on this occasion he seemed to be gesturing wildly at Dragon and Shockwave.

Dragon watched as a shorter man in orange, along with what he assumed were two pilots, tried to calm the officer down. He was certain that the orange man was some kind of mechanic given to the amount of grime on his work-suit but Dragon was far more interested in the female pilot. Even though she had only recently climbed out of one of their fighters she seemed to sparkle under the lights of the landing bay.

"Jesus Dragon," muttered Shockwave as he followed Dragons' stare, "Here we are, stranded on an alien starship lord knows where in the galaxy, and all that's all you can think about."

Dragon smiled at the female officer as she noticed his gaze. The other pilot noticed too and muttered something to her. She turned and said something to him causing him to salute and then walk away, apparently admonished for his comment.

"Looks like she's one of the senior pilots, so try not to make her angry ok?"

Dragon turned to answer as one of his other pilots came running up to them.

"Sir, we've got the translation program installed."

"About time." muttered Shockwave.

"But it's going to take time to get it accurate. Their language has numerous differences to ancient Greek so we'll have to correct it's sentences every time we get an answer on-screen."

"How accurate is it now?" asked Dragon as he rubbed his forehead.

The tech shrugged as he answered. "Best guess, about forty to fifty percent to start with."

"So we're going to try to open up dialogue with these people where about half of what is said is going to sound like nonsense?" the tech nodded in answer to Shockwaves' question before turning around and heading back to the shuttle to get the translation computer.

"Look at the bright side," commented Dragon. "At least that means we'll make more sense than the admiralty."

---

Apollo looked into the isolation chamber that held Orion as the earthling started to wake up again.

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

Orion gave a slight tug on one of his arms to indicate the restraints. "Good, not this."

"Except this," corrected Apollo as he watched Orion roll the words around with his mouth. "I'd like to talk to you about Earth?"

Orion shook his head. "No, talk to others one."

This time Apollo shook his head. "I'm afraid we can't let you out yet. Part of your crew and ours are trapped in one of our landing bays. They are under quarantine." Apollo noticed the confused look on the Earthlings' face. "We are worried about disease between the two groups."

"get me …" started Orion but he struggled for the word. "Doctor wear to see me."

Apollo corrected Orions' vocabulary mistakes again then shook his head. "We don't have any spares, all the medical staff need them now."

"Spacesuit?"

"Your suit as destroyed as they tried to save you but…" Apollo stopped as an idea came to him. "I'll be back soon." He said as he turned and almost ran to the nearest intercom.

---

Roslin nodded at the marine guard as he walked into the cell. "Wait outside please." The marine nodded and exited the cell block leaving Roslin alone with Athena and Caprica.

"Well?" asked Athena.

Roslin shook her head. "She didn't have the dream."

"So she's not one of the five then." stated Caprica.

"No, but she says she's been to Earth." Roslin paused to let that sink in with the two Cylons. "She said it's very similar to Kobol except it has a satellite nearly one-sixth the size of the planet."

"That's statistically impossible." remarked Caprica.

"But it would give us another way of proving Earth is Earth once we get there." declared Athena. "So what do we do now?"

Roslin stood as she prepared to leave. "First, we have to find a way to prove to the Admiral that Starbuck is not a Cylon since she is the best pilot we have. Then we'll just have to protect Hera and watch for a sign for what we have to do."

---

Dragon picked himself of the floor while rubbing his jaw. The one named Tigh was staring daggers at him while keeping his fists clenched after hitting Dragon.

"What did that bloody machine say to him?" he asked.

"Hell if I know," started Shockwave, "but whatever it was it must have been a doozy."

Dragon glared up at him. "Ya think?" both stopped as the still struggling translation machine made a bleeping noise indicating it had translated some of the alien language.

"Talk about…. wife… kill…" read Shockwave drawing a grunt from Dragon.

"I didn't say anything about his wife, bloody machine."

Shockwave stifled a laugh as he looked from Tigh to Dragon and back. "Well that's what the machine must have said to him. Still can't work out what made him so angry."

"Sirs," the pair turned to see a young looking tech standing near them. "Petty Officer Xene Stavros. I was told to report here when I came too."

"You're the one who can speak Greek?" Stavros gave a quick nod. "Good, you'll be running translation for us as they seem to speak something close to ancient Greek."

"Aye sir."

Shockwave tapped the machine lightly. "Also, try to correct any mistakes this thing makes as it seems to be having some modest problems."

"modest!?!" muttered Dragon as he rubbed his jaw once more, "Modest you say?"

Shockwave gave him a mild shrug. "I'd say so."

Dragon clenched his fists as he turned to Stavros. "Translate this as best you can."

-

"I sorely or coneent aboot woof. It wis uccodent"

Tigh stared open mouthed at the young lady who had just spoken. "I hope one of you understood that."

"I think she meant 'I'm sorry for the comment about your wife. It was an accident" said Showboat. "It looks like she's speaking the ancient Kobolian, or at least a variant of it." Showboat noticed the look from the men. "My mother was a priestess of Aphrodite."

Tigh croaked. "Good, you can help run the translations from this side. Tell him I accept his apology but the next time he says something about my wife, I'll kill him." Tigh stared ruthlessly at Dragon to reinforce the point.

---


	6. 6

6.

Apollo looked at Orion as they struggled to put on the spare space suit that Apollo had managed to find after first talking to his father then borrowing one of Helo's flight-suits, as Orion was almost the same height and build as Helo. Apollo checked the seal was secure as he turned to face Orion.

"Ok, you're secure now." Apollo pointed down at the wrist of his suit and at the same location on Orion's. "This is your air level. Now it's full. You have about twelve hours of air in there."

Orion nodded as he examined the gauge on his wrist. He looked down and Artemis and gently took her hand in his.

Apollo cleared his throat. "Ok, for safety we won't be heading straight to the landing bay with your shipmates as it's on the other side of the ship. We'll head to the other bay and take a Raptor over."

Orion nodded, though it was clear that he didn't understand everything being said to him.

The pair walked into the de-con chamber for the isolation ward and waited for the process to cycle.

As they exited sickbay Orion found himself looking at walls covered in pictures of people, young and old, of every possible colour and creed. The walls were divided into twelve sections in total.

'_Oh my god._' he thought to himself. '_The twelve colonies, how much have these people lost? What happened to cause this destruction?_' He stood and looked at the faces before him and tried to comprehend just how much death this represented.

"Lieutenant?"

Orion turned, having forgotten that Apollo was beside him. "Your home?" he asked cautiously.

Apollo took a moment to compose himself as he looked at the wall as well. "They were. Now all we have left is the _Galactica_ and her fleet."

"How many?" asked Orion though he wasn't sure he really wanted to hear the number.

"Twenty billion." Orion didn't fully understand. "Two, then ten zeroes." Apollo watched as Orion tried to picture that many in his head and failed.

Just then two marines came around the corner. "Major Adama sir, the admiral asked that we help you escort our guest to the landing bay and the waiting raptor."

"Very well Corporal, lead on." The corporal started to walk down the corridor while the other walked several steps behind Apollo and Orion.

"Adama?" questioned Orion with a slightly raised eyebrow.

Apollo smiled slightly, enjoying for a second that someone didn't think of him as his father's son. "My call-sign is Apollo. My name is Lee Adama." He extended his hand.

He watched as Orion gave him a smile before shaking his hand. "The admiral?" he prodded.

Apollo gave a slight nod. "He's my father, though we don't always see eye-to-eye."

Orion chuckled quietly. "My father's father,"

"Grandfather."

"My grandfather, is top admiral."

Apollo whistled at the statement. "And I thought I had it bad." he muttered. "Tell me, do you often argue with him?"

"All the time." Replied Orion as he tried to stop from laughing at the memories. "He pushed me into military."

"What about your father?" asked Apollo as the two started to bond over similar, yet altered, experiences.

---

"Enter." Adama said upon hearing the knock at his door. He looked up to see President Roslin walking through the hatch. He stood up as she entered. "Madam President, to what do I owe this surprise visit?" he inquired with a twinkle in his eye.

Roslin smiled at him as she sat down on his couch as he came over and sat beside her.

"I'm surprised you aren't in the CIC watching over everything."

"Helo's got it under control," he responded. "If anything happens he'll page me."

Roslin nodded at the answer, hoping to use it as the opening she needed. "I've talked with Sharon and Caprica. Both of them are certain about three things." she paused for a second to compose herself. "That these people aren't Cylons. That the final five are now active and.." this time the pause was longer.

"And …" prompted Adama.

Roslin took a deep breath before she continued. "Starbuck is **not** one of the final five."

The seconds seemed to crawl by as she watched him, waiting for any kind of emotional response. All he did was take off his glasses and softly clean the lenses. The longer the silence lasted without any word from him, the more she began to wonder if she'd over-stepped her mark.

"Bill?" she prodded, almost pleadingly.

He placed his glasses back on and turned to face her. "I know she's not a Cylon but there are some things about her return that I find," he paused as he searched for the right word, "troubling."

Roslin released a breath she hadn't realised she'd been holding. "How do you know?"

"Because no Cylon could be as fraked-up as her," he answered as a wide grin spread across his face. "Plus I just got Cottle's report of her blood work."

Roslin took one look at his face and burst out in a short fit of laughter. Once she'd calmed down she looked at him. "So what are you going to do with her?"

"I'm going to keep her locked up until we've sorted out this mess with the Terrans." He answered quickly. "For now she's the least of our problems."

Roslin saw he face quickly revert back to that of one with too much on his shoulders. "How well is the quarantine holding?"

"So far so good but I'm more concerned by this outbreak." He paused as he pulled out a piece of paper, from the pile on his desk, with the latest casualty figures. "In seven hours we've gotten reports stating that over half of the crew in the bay are showing some kind of signs to this disease. Two have gone critical in the last thirty minutes."

"My gods, at that rate everyone in the bay will be near death within the next day or so."

Adama gave a grim nod. "That's the picture Cottle's been painting. Thankfully it seems that some of the crew are immune so he's now in a race to find out why before things get out of control."

The pair sat in silence for a minute reflecting on just how many lives now hang in the balance.

"So what about the Terrans?" asked Roslin, finally breaking the silence.

"For the moment all communication is going through Major Adama and Colonel Tigh." He saw the lock on her face at the idea of Tigh conducting diplomacy. "He's the one who called the Code Black. Currently he's the senior officer on the deck at the moment but from what I've been told, he's having some difficulty communicating as only Orion seems able to speak our language."

"Isn't it a little strange that only one member of their crew can speak anything close to our language," Roslin stated as she started to look over the reports that Adama had just handed to her.

Adama gave a tense nod to the statement. "Strange isn't really the word I was going for but it'll do. A few of the other Terrans seem to be able to speak a much older dialect. One believed to have been spoken before the exodus from Kobol. And since virtually no-one on the_ Galactica_ speaks that ancient language we've hit a major roadblock."

"I'll put out the word in the fleet to see if anyone speaks ancient Kobolian," started Roslin. She quickly continued when she saw the look that Adama gave her. "Don't worry I won't mention anything about the Terrans."

Adama stood. "Ok, if anything comes up let me now ASAP." Roslin started to hand back the reports but Adama gave her a slight shake of his head. "You keep them, I've already read them three times. Maybe a fresh set of eyes will find something I've missed."

Roslin stood and started to leave as Adama returned to his desk.

Just as she was about to open the door she paused and turned back to face him. "So why'd you take so long to tell me?"

He tried to stifle the grin that was slowly creeping across his face with each passing second. "So I could see you sweat."

She gave him her best scolding look but couldn't hide the sparkle in her eye as she saw the same sparkle in his and realised that, as of this moment, they were going to be alright.

---

Dragon turned to face Stavros. "Well, what did he say?"

Stavros gulped just before she answered. "I think he said 'He'd rather kiss Hades' ass than let us do that'."

"He'd what?" asked Shockwave in disbelief.

The young petty officer shrugged. "I guess it's some kind of local saying."

Regardless," stated Dragon, "I'd like to examine one of their fighters. We need to see if our tech is compatible with theirs and that means hooking up our on-board computers to theirs."

Stavros took a deep breath before relaying the same message that had drawn the strange response.

Again Tigh seemed to nearly spit out his reply.

"I'm guessing the answer was the same." stated Shockwave.

"More or less," answered Stavros. "They seem to have a problem with computers."

"Maybe it's not the computers themselves but the networks we'd need to form to make our idea work," Shockwave mused. "They seemed to visibly pale at the idea."

"One-eye more than most," said Dragon, not using the person's name so these people wouldn't catch who he was referring too. "He's one stubborn old bastard."

"Sounds like my last date." remarked Shockwave.

Dragon tried to unsuccessfully fight the smile that had crept onto his face. "Remind me to as you about that sometime." He kicked the side of their shuttle as his smile vanished just as quickly as it had appeared. "Damm, I wish Orion was here, he's the one who had first contact training. I'd much rather just shoot everyone."

"Let's keep that as plan FUBAR," Shockwave said. "By the way, how did you and Orion meet? He told me he'd spent the last three years at a test pilot at Olympus Base and before that he'd served on the cruiser _Shenfeng_ but I get the impression you've known each other for a while."

"We met back at the Academy. He was having trouble settling in and I was assigned as his senior co-ordinator. There's more to it but this is neither the time nor the place." Dragon stated with hidden venom to his words.

Shockwave extended his arms to indicate the vast bay they were now in. "it's not like we're going anywhere."

Dragon took a long, hard look around the bay, noticing that more of the_Galactica's_ crew was suffering from some kind of fever, before he turned back to face Shockwave. "Ok, but not here. Let's get back into the shuttle and check on our rations. I don't know about you but I'm starting to get the impression we'll be stuck in this bay for a while."

---

Orion whistled as he stepped into the landing bay and saw the remains of his fighter and that of Artemis'.

'Hope they don't bill me for this one,' he thought as he surveyed the damage to both Cobras. While Artemis' would probably never fly again, owning to the completely missing top engine and wing mount, his could probably be salvaged with the right parts, though he doubted he'd find them on the _Galactica_.

Apollo looked at the two Terran fighters as well. They looked similar in general shape to a Viper but closer in tonnage to a Raptor. From the battle he remembered that they seemed to prefer to sit off and strike at their targets from a distance, much like the Raiders did during the assault on the colonies, then close in to engage with their heavy-caliber railguns.

He looked at the tail numberings and frowned. If he was reading them right they bore the numbers zero-zero-one-zero and zero-zero-zero-two, two and ten. "What do you call them?" he asked Orion, without taking his eyes of the tail markings.

Orion racked his brain as he too stared at the fighters, trying to remember the word in the Colonial tongue. "Cobras," he finally answered, failing to notice the momentary shock that passed over Apollo's face as he spoke.

Apollo took his eyes away from the Cobras to look at the Raptor waiting to take off. "This way," he said as he started down the stairs onto the bay floor.

He tried to ignore the smell that still lingered, even though they'd finally moved the people of Dogsville out of the landing bay and fixed the launch tubes to allow most of the pilots from the _Pegasus_ to be stationed in the bay, the smell seemed unwilling to disappear no matter how hard Laird and his deck crew tried.

As if knowing he was being thought about, Laird walked over to Apollo. "Your Raptor's ready for launch as soon as you are Major."

Apollo smiled at Laird who, even though he was forced into the Military at gunpoint, had done an excellent job of accepting his lot in life and moving on with it. "Thanks chief. You had any luck with their ships?"

Laird shook his head gently. "Not really, since we're not allowed to take them apart yet all we've been able to do is external examinations, it looks like they use a slightly higher caliber of gun round than our Vipers and also can hold far more missiles in their wings. Hell. There's enough room in there for someone to crawl into had hide if they wanted."

"Anything we could adapt for use on our planes?" Apollo asked hopefully.

Laird smiled at the question, "Way ahead of you Major, we're already removed some of the armour-coating so we can analyze it. If we can replicate it here we could apply it to the Vipers to make them harder for the Cylons to lock on to. Also, we've taken one of the missiles apart to see how it's internal circuitry works. It looks like it's designed to either lock on to the exhaust signature of the targets' engines, thus most standard types of decoys are virtually useless, or go to a proximity switch that triggers only after a short time to prevent friendly fire."

"No wonder the Cylons suffered such heavy losses in the opening salvoes." stated Apollo, both Colonial and Cylon decoys worked by simultaneously creating a massive amount of exhaust heat and a short, but enormous, EM blast to trick a missile into changing targets."

Laird smiled even more as he looked over at the crashed Cobras. "Throw in that the missiles generate some kind of low-level EM dampening field to block outside interference, as well as the same basic coating as their fighters, it makes these missiles virtually immune to outside jamming." Laird spotted the look on Apollo's face. "Don't worry, as soon as we work out how to copy it I'll make sure your Viper is the first one to get the treatment."

Apollo gave Laird a slight smile of thanks before turning back to Orion. "You understand all that?"

Orion gave a little horizontal wave of his hand. "So-so," he answered with a smile. "Can I see my ship?"

Apollo gave a slight shake of his head as he indicated the waiting Raptor. "I'm afraid not, we need to get you back to your crewmates."

Orion gave a remorseful smile to his Cobra then followed Apollo into the Raptor.

---

Tigh looked at the meal that had just been placed in-front of him and growled. "Is this the best we can get?"

The deckhand who had brought the meal gave Tigh an apologetic shrug. "Sorry sir, but it's all we've got in the bay at the moment."

Tigh turned away from the deckhand, dismissing him with a wave of his hand, and looked down again at his food. "Can this get much worse?"

"Well, you could have a fever." answered Tyrol, knowing full well the question was rhetorical. Tigh started to reply to the remark when one of the pilots walked towards him and saluted.

"Here's the name of the newest batch of crew who are reporting signs of fever and an update on those already infected." Tigh took the list and dismissed the pilot with a quick salute. He started to eat only to let the fork drop from his hand as he scanned the list.

"Sir?" asked Tyrol. Tigh merely handed the list as Tigh stood up and walked over to the comm-link.

"This is Tigh to CIC." He said over the link. "Please inform Admiral Adama that Crewman Reilly has passed away as of zero-two-twenty hours." He placed the link back down and stared at Tyrol.

While both were concerned with the first fatality from the disease they were more concerned about the list of new infectees, actually just one in particular, Ensign Samuel T. Anders.

---

The man on the table screamed as another massive blast of electricity shot through his body.

Cavil, or at least on of the Cavil models, looked down at the man on the interrogation table. "I'll ask you one more time, politely this time, Where is Earth?"

The man started to speak very softly and Cavil had to lean in to hear what was being said, though he still was no closer to understanding the language being spoken

"Admiral Steven Jackson, Terran Defence Force. Alpha-six-nine-two-dash-bravo-bravo-seven." Came the response in clear and concise English.

Cavil gave Jackson a sad smile as he leaned back up and reached over to the control panel again. "I assure you I take no pleasure from this at all." He said as he sent another shock coursing through the body of the Admiral.

"I think you'll find this interesting." Cavil turned to see one of the Eights standing in the doorway. "On a gut feeling I ran his DNA through the Colonial Military Database and got a match." She handed the printout to an astonished Cavil who turned and read it aloud for Jackson to hear.

"Admiral Steven Nash, reported missing and presumed dead after the commercial ship he was on at the time, the _Poseidon's Glory_, went missing near the armistice line thirty-eight years ago."

The Eight smiled as she looked down at Jackson/Nash. "Read his military record."

Cavil looked further down the page and smiled broadly, "Well this is a surprise. It seems that Admiral Nash was the former commander of the Battlestar _Galactica_." Cavil turned back to face the Eight. "You know what this means?"

The Eight nodded as several other human-form Cylons walked into the room. "It means we've found one of the Final Five." She turned to face Jackson and gave him an eerie smile. "Welcome home."

Jackson looked from the Eight to Cavil and then to the other Cylons. "Frak you." He said, in clear Colonial, as he spat at Cavil.

Cavil gave him a smile that chilled his blood. "You're not my type. Once you tell us were Earth is, maybe one of the others will grant your wish before we box you." He reached down to the control panel. "But first you'll tell us two things; who are the Final Four and where is ever?"

"NEVER!!!" screamed Jackson as once more the torture began.

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End of Episode 1

Episode 2: should follow later this month.

As always reviews are welcome.


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